Kotobukiya, in collaboration with the otaku website Dannychoo.com and cosplay website Cure (curecos.com), announces the arrival of OTACOOL 2: WORLDWIDE COSPLAYERS in June 2010.

In November 2009, Kotobukiya released their first book, OTACOOL: WORLDWIDE OTAKU ROOMS (read our story HERE). Now Koto is back with OTACOOL 2: WORLDWIDE COSPLAYERS. The question this time is "How well do you know cosplay?"

Teaming up with Dannychoo.com and Cure, OTACOOL 2 delivers photographs of over 150 cosplayers worldwide, with attendees over 24 countries, carefully chosen from over 500 submissions. Along with the photographs, Koto also held an online "OTACOOL Original Mascot Contest." With more then 30 illustrators submitting, Koto chose French illustrator Vinhnyu's character "Oda Kurumi" as the official Otacool Mascot character (pictured above right). Koto has plans to feature Vinhnyu's art work in future OTACOOL promotion and publication.

Written in both English and Japanese, the 128-page book also introduces various aspects of the cosplay culture through interviews with companies, websites, and famous cosplayers that are involved in the industry. Furthermore the book introduces fundamentals such as how to cosplay and rules and manners of cosplay for people who want to get involved right away.

OTACOOL 2: WORLDWIDE COSPLAYERS is scheduled for release this month in Japan and internationally this June. It will be priced at approximately $17US (1,575 yen).